The first Quarter Quell
by RChelsea
Summary: The narrator of this story has been elected to participate in the 25th Hunger Games, the games with a twist. How will our protagonist do?


Based on Suzanne Collin's the Hunger Games, I wanted to write out how I think the first Quarter Quell could possibly go. The Quarter Quells are the Hunger Games with a twist, this one being the first one must have been a huge shock for the people of Panem. Our narrator doesn't reveal anything about themselves, but clues are given throughout the story. Characters with physical descriptions (and the narrator themselves) are based on actual people. Well, by "actual people" I mean relatively famous kids. It's not meant to be taken a hundred percent serious, it's just me penning down whatever comes to mind.

So enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or anything related to it. All credit goes to Suzanne Collins, this is merely for entertainment.

Chapter 1

As I step into the launch room, my stylist helps open the box that contains the clothes I'm to wear from now on. He says he doesn't know what is in the box, but whatever is in there: all tributes have to wear it. I'm given a pair of blue pants made out of a strong but flexible fabric, a black long sleeved shirt with the seal of Panem on the right of its chest area, a gray hooded jacket that fits a bit big, and a pair of very neat looking running shoes. My stylist asks if everything fits alright, and tells me that it should be ideal for running. Of course I don't know what sort of setting I will be in, but it isn't something I'd wear in the forests. When I'm dressed and the final adjustments are made, we eat breakfast. I eat the rich, decadent food rather fast, I didn't want to relax and enjoy the tastes. Then I tell my escort goodbye and that I'd rather be here alone for the last moments of my freedom. He understands, and tells me to take care as he leaves. In 10 minute's time: I will part take in the 25th Hunger Games and possibly end my life.

I think back to my life at home, the sight of all the lush trees, spending hours chopping them down, the smell of dirt and tree-sap. I think of my family, the faces of my father, mother, the house we lived in, and all the time we were together, from birthdays, to times we sat around our television to watch the games; to fights my parents would have. Then my friends come to mind. We spend a lot of time together in the woods for work. We all knew each other since we were young, went to school together and eventually worked together as well. It's sort of pleasant thinking back. But then I think about how I was elected to be a tribute, and how betrayed I fell. See, normally the Hunger Games got it's tributes by reapings, but not this time.

Because it was the 25th anniversary, also known as the Quarter Quell, and it came with a twist. Each district had to elect its male and female tributes, and I was chosen. I know it's what they had to do, but I was still upset about it. What upsets me more, is how the Capitol treats the games and its tributes: as if it's a game and we're its puppets. When all tributes arrived in the Capitol, we were to be paraded around in chariots in costumes, and on top of that more costumes and makeup for the interviews. It's disgusting and quite humiliating, honestly; but we don't speak of it, no one does. In school we have learned that speaking up to a higher power will only lead to turmoil, and that it's much easier to obey the rules: they're there for a reason. The Capitol's food was amazing though. Rich and colorful meats, vegetables, and so many things I've never heard of, like Ice Cream. It's the only thing I reasonably enjoyed, but that's not important anymore.

A recorded female voice tells me to prepare for the launch, and I step into the cylinder. All I can think of now is my family and everyone watching, and hoping what they'll see won't hurt them too much. Finally, I take my mentor's advice: don't die. The cylinder lowers, then rising up, slowly taking me up. Through the glass I hope to see sun, feel the wind, anything to remind me of what life was like before. But no, the skies are grey and completely still. Just like me.

As my cylinder has reached its destination, I hear Claudius Templesmith's voice announcing the 25th Hunger Games and it's first Quarter Quell. As I'm waiting for a minute before the Gong goes off, I'm doing a few things. First off, I look for the cornucopia: the big golden horn filled with supplies I need to get anywhere in these games. Second, I study my opponents again, like I did during the interviews, and the girl from District 9 with a blind eye is facing me directly. Since we were all elected, with the exception of the careers that probably volunteered, all twenty-four tributes are on the older side of its age-range, the youngest in this game may be fifteen or sixteen.

Then I study the cornucopia and its location. There's no sign of anything green like trees or grass, but there are deserted streets and imploded buildings. That's something new: the setting is an old destroyed city meant to look like one from hundreds of years ago, usually it's always nature related. I whisper "Stay alive." To myself, and the gong goes off, now it's officially begun.

I run as fast as I can, trying to swipe something from the cornucopia before the blood bath begins. However, that isn't likely to happen, since one of the career girls is already behind me. I manage to outrun her but overcome by fear, turn into a street to avoid the cornucopia completely without retrieving a single item.

Great, left with nothing, I go down this street hoping a metal bar will be lying around. Far away I hear screams and stabs; the blood-bath is in full-action. The streets are full of fallen poles and buildings that are all destroyed and piled up against each other; you can barely make out what they were supposed to be. It's hard to walk down the road, since there's constantly stuff blocking it, so you'll have to climb them if you want to get anywhere. I also find remains of what would be ancient automobiles, and go through the scraps to find something. I'm able to use a sheet of rusted metal as both a shield and weapon.

Kind of stupid, I thought, creating a weapon in a setting like this is way too easy. Why even supplying weapons at the cornucopia? Then I realized, there must also be probably food, water and medication; which seem impossible to find around here. As I'm getting through different streets with difficulty, and try to find my way around, I catch a quick glimpse of the small-framed girl from District 6, Althea I believe her name was. However, as I try to look for her, she's gone. I decide to wander around some more. It seems like a good idea to me, because so far I have not run into any other tribute, meaning they can't kill me.

I don't have any indication of time whatsoever, but after what feels like 2 hours, the canons go off, ten of them. Whatever happened down there must've been bad, because in all twenty-four games prior to this one; I don't ever remember ten tributes being killed right away. Then up in the sky the pictures of the dead tributes appear: The girls from District 3 and 5, the boy from 6, Verna, the boy from 9, all tributes from 10 and 11, and the girl from 12. I survived the cornucopia bloodbath, but that was just the start. Now the real games begin.


End file.
